7 Leadership Fundas To Learn From Captain Dhoni

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, talisman of Indian cricket is an absolute genius on the field. But have you ever thought what you could take from him to be an excellent leader yourself?

1. He is highly encouraging and motivating of his team members. Need we say more?

“Aise hi bhajji, aise hi daal… wicket milega.”

2. He will provide you enough chances to showcase your TALENT.

Why am I emphasising on talent? Remember Rohit ‘Talent’ Sharma? Whether it was backing newcomers like Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma early on in their careers or giving importance to the team’s priorities and space to his players, in turn, empowering them.

“Aise hi batting karta raha, toh pehle batting pe bhejunga.”

3. The Way he deals with failures.

There is no constant in heroism and a person isn’t always on the top. He isn’t called Captain Cool without any reason. In his career spanning over a decade, Dhoni has seen dark days too. Away Test failures haunted him. But he conducted himself with dignity and pride, choosing to let go of things that don’t add to growth which demonstrates a strong sense of character. He believes in doing than talking.

“We lost because of poor team selection… The team should have been either Bangladesh or Afghanistan.”

4. Emotional resistance.

He was grounded even during peak pressure time and he also knows how to deal with success. Remember how he gave world cup trophy immediately to his team-mates after claiming it?

5. Walk the talk.

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He does what he says. He is India’s man of crisis and this is how a leader should be. He never gives excuses.

“Couldn’t resist their offer. Winning lots of hearts in exchange for a trophy.”

6. He connects on an individual level.

Leaders who connect with each team member encourage more out of them in the long run their – loyalty, high confidence and zeal to surpass themselves in their performance.

“Mere jaisi hasi chahiye, toh sabke saath has ke raho!”

7. He plays to win – something he got from his own boss from earlier on – Saurav Ganguly.

Under Ganguly and much more under Dhoni, India has been consistently playing to win and not to just defend from shameful losses. And this shift in attitude brings in a more positive, constructive atmosphere to the team which is visible in their play on the ground. That’s how a boss should be to bring out the best from his/her team – the trust that the team has it in itself to achieve any goal they are assigned!

“Even this”

Dhoni certainly will be the ideal boss of any corporate firm in the world. He knows when to stay quiet and what to say in any given situation. He embodies leadership skills we learned in school but still struggle to apply. Dhoni Paaji, thanks for a golden period in Indian cricket!